Municipality of Brinje

• Brinje lies along the historic Jozefinska cesta and the present-day Zagreb–Split motorway (A1).
• Cultural sites include Sokolac Castle, religious buildings and a permanent exhibition on the history of the Frankopans.
• The circular Brinjski prsten educational and hiking trail is 18.5 km long.
• At Lake Brodić, there is an excursion area with a walking path, lighting and benches.

Sokolac is a medieval noble castle in the centre of Brinje. The Frankopans, the Counts of Krk, built the castle at the beginning of the 15th century. The entrance tower and the two-storey Chapel of the Holy Trinity have been preserved. Since June 2007, the chapel’s lower level has housed the permanent exhibition “Plemićki grad Sokolac”. It provides information about the castle and the role of the Frankopans in Croatian history. If you would like to visit Sokolac, this is possible by prior arrangement at 053 700 407 or 099 283 4740.

Other buildings also tell the story of the town. The Church of St. Vid dates from the 14th century. This Gothic religious building is near the centre of Brinje, at the foot of Humac Hill, and is now occasionally used as a funerary chapel. The Chapel of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian is a protected late-Romanesque religious building from the 14th century and is designated a cultural monument in the highest protection category.

A stone bridge built in 1801, with a sundial, stands in the centre on Jozefinska cesta. The town centre is also home to a bronze statue of a miner, a work by sculptor Kosta Angelini Radovani. If you are interested in everyday history, the permanent exhibition of the Municipality of Brinje’s folk heritage collection offers another perspective: it includes more than 1,200 exhibits. Visits are also possible by prior arrangement at 053 700 407 or 099 283 4740.

Brinjski prsten is an 18.5 km circular educational and hiking trail on the Brinje–Zarin–Siničić Cave–Brinje route. The longer section follows the ridge of the Škamnica range to Zarin and the Kozjak viewpoint. Zarin, at 828 m, is the highest peak in the Brinje basin. The trail’s length and described route provide concrete points of reference if you are planning a longer hike.

Another natural attraction lies near Jezerane, between the two Kapelas: Rokina bezdana is a 100–110 m-deep karst pit. Its entrance to the underground water channels measures 22 × 12 m. Entry is permitted only under the supervision of a speleologist. Bear this access requirement in mind if you are considering including the cave in your travel plans. Staro Brinje has via ferratas for climbing in both winter and summer.

At Lake Brodić in the Municipality of Brinje, there is an excursion area with a new walking path, lighting and benches for relaxation and outdoor leisure. The lake is rich in fish and natural vegetation. The fish species mentioned include carp, grass carp, pike and crayfish. This makes a visit to the waterside an outdoor and leisure activity in its own right, alongside the municipality’s hiking and cultural attractions.

Brinje lies both on Jozefinska cesta, the Josephine Road, and on the present-day Zagreb–Split motorway (A1). Brinje’s public Nextbike bicycle-sharing system has one station in the centre below Sokolac and another at Hotel Lika at the A1 rest area. These two locations help you keep track of the cycling options mentioned in the municipality: the tourist offering includes the local Brinjski mineri 1 and 2 cycling routes.

To explore the individual settlements included in this offering, you can visit the pages for Vodoteč, Lipice, Jezerane, Crni Kal and Brinje. Other municipality pages in the offering include Municipality of Rakovica, Municipality of Senj and Municipality of Udbina.

How long is the Brinjski prsten?

The circular educational and hiking trail is 18.5 km long and follows the Brinje–Zarin–Siničić Cave–Brinje route.

Do you need to register in advance to visit Sokolac?

Sokolac can be visited by prior arrangement at 053 700 407 or 099 283 4740.

What access requirement applies to Rokina bezdana?

The karst pit near Jezerane may be entered only under the supervision of a speleologist.

For the broader travel overview: Lika-Senj.